Combination medicine-spoon.



E. W. NIMMEH.

' COMBINATION MEDICINE SPOON,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 191a.

Patentedsept. 3,1918.

ITED STATES PATENT orriou.

EDWARD W. NIMMEBI, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

COMBINATION MEDICINE-SPOON.

' To on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD WV. NIMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Medicine-Spoons; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

. This invention relates to combination medicine spoons.

One important object of the invention is to provide a spoon in the use-of which a patient will be positively prevented from closing his mouth after the point of the ,spoon has been inserted therein, so that the contents of the spoon will not be spilled over the patients face. 7 Another important object of the invention is to provide an improved. form of spoon wherein medicines in urious to the teeth may be administered wlthout coming in contact with the teeth, the medicines being delivered far back in the mouth;

A third important object of the invention is to provide an improved spoon of this description having the removable cover and provided with an extended tongue depressor projecting beyond the cover so that the patient cannot close the end of the spoon with the tongue.

A fourth important object of the invent1on is to provide means for observing the interior of the mouth, said means being carried by the spoon.

WVith the above and other objects in view,

I as will be hereinafter apparent the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafterlfully described, illustrated .in the accompanying drawing, and specifically claimed. Y

In the accompanying drawing, like oharacters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and

Figure 1- is aplan view. of a spoon constr uct ed 1n accordance ,w1th thls inve'ntion; 3 0

Fig. 2 is Ta side elevation thereof;

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

V Application filed June 7, 1916. Serial No. 102,257.

at one end a handle having a parallel sided portion 12 and a terminal portion 13,-the

latter being bent downward. At the other end or point of the spoon is also provided a secondparallel sided portion 14, the central portion of which is bent to form a longitudinal groove 15 which is depressed adj acent the body of the spoon and terminates forwardly in a very shallow groove. Slidably mounted on-the edges of the portion 14 is a cover plate 16 which is transversely arcuate and is provided with edges 17 bent under the edges of the portion 14.. By this means the cover late may be readily slipped onto or removed from the portion 14, the

device being thus rendered easily cleanable' when separated.

Extending forwardly from the portion 14 and being reduced in width therefrom is a terminal finger portion 18 which is downwardly bent and is provided with an under surface having corrugations or other roughening means formed thereon. It is to be noted that this downwardly bent portion projects beyond the cover plate also.

Mounted on the parallel sided portion of the'handle is a slide 19 which carries a magnifying glass 20 having its focal axisin alinement with the center of the space between the cover plate and portion 14 of the spoon. I

In administering a dose of medicine, the

medicine is poured out into the body of the spoon,to the proper height, this being regulated by the graduations 11. When the medicine has been poured into the spoon, the

forward end is inserted in the .patients mouth and the finger portion 18 pressed down upon the tongue, as far back as (can be conveniently done without causing the patient to gag.- It will be seen that when in this position the forward end of the groove will be well within the patients mouth so that when the handle of the spoon is tilted upward, the contents will run out to the back of the mouth and will not strike the teeth. Moreover, the patients lips will naturally close down, especially if a young child, but cannot close off the passage since the cover plate 16 protects the groove. Furthermore, the tongue, being held down, cannot be used to close the end of the passage between the cover plate and portion 14.

' It is to be observed that the glass 20 is adjust-able on the handle so. that it may live brought into proper focus to observe the interior of the patients mouth through the opening between the cover plate and portion 14:, or for this purpose, the cover plate may be removed.

It will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art that in the use of the present spoon, the concaved mirror with central opening such as commonly is used by nose, throat and eye specialists, is employed to reflect light emanating from a source over the patients head as is the common practice when examining the throat, the nostrils, oreyes of a patient. I

.Itwill be further noted that the extension 18 beyond the cover plate 16 prevents the spasmodic rising of the patients tongue across the line of vision which wouldnaturally occurif the portion 14; were pressed down upon the tongue and'there were no extension 18 beyond thecover plate.

It will also be observed that after the medicine has been given and the spoon withdrawn, it may be readily taken apart for cleaning.

There has thus been provided a simple and efiicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without-departing fromthe material principles thereof. It is not therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described but it is wished to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

It will be obvious that not only may {the spoon be used for administering medicine under usual conditions, but also it may be used with the spoon and magnifying glass in combination, the spoon with its cover serving to hold the lips of the patient parted cover.

while an inspection of the throat is made through the magnifying glass and through the passage between the spoon bowl and Also when it 1s desired to admin-' ister medicine to a particular aifected spot at the back of the throat, not discernible with the naked eye, the spoon may be directed to this particular spot by looking through the magnifying glass and through the passage between the spoon bowl and the cover at the time the medicine is being administered.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A medicine administering spoon com prising a bowl having a. tubular extension from its point, the axis of which extension is straight and positioned above the top of the bowl, a handle at the opposite side of the bowl from the tubular extension and a magnifying glass slidably mounted upon the handle in axial alinement with the tubular extension and movable toward and away from the tubular extension for focusing whereby light may pass through the tubular extension with the medicine to the part of the throat of a patient to be directly treated and such part may be viewed through the magnifying glass.

2. A medicine administering spoon comprising a bowl having a tubular extension from its point, the axis of which extension is straight and positioned above the top of the bowl, a finger extending forwardly and downwardly from the lower side of the tubular extension to prevent rising of the tongueof the patient across the opening of the tubular extension, a handle at the oppoprising a bowl provided with a tubular ex tension projecting forwardly from the point of said bowl, the axis of which extension is straight and positioned above the top of the bowl, and a finger extending forwardly and downwardly from the lower edge of "the end of the tubular extension to prevent ris ing of the tongue of the patient across the opening of the tubular extension.

4:. An article of the class described comprising a straight tubular portion, a handle connected with one end of the tubular portion and below the longitudinal axis of the latter, a magnifying glass slidably mounted upon the handle in axial alinement with the tubular portion and movable toward and away from the tubular portion for focusing, the tubular portion being adapted to direct a remedy therethrou'gh to a point viewed through the magnifying glass.

5. A device of the class described com- 1 prising a tubular member having a handle connected with one end thereof and tp'ositioned below the longitudinal axis of the tubular portion, a finger extending longitudinally and downwardly from the lower side of the opposite end of the tubular portion to prevent rising of the tongue of the patient across the opening of the tubular portion and a magnifying glass slidably mounted upon the handle in axial alinement five cents with the tubular portion and movable toward and away from the latter.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Y EDWARD W. NIMMER.

Witnesses:

Rosn KREMPIN,

ALBERT H. KREMPIN.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

Washington, D. 0. 

